Individual containers are sometimes provided for separately handling small articles, especially for handling articles having intricate or delicate features. Such features may be readily damaged by mechanical and environmental forces. Typical articles include electronic devices which are not yet fully, individually enclosed in a service package designed to protect vulnerable chips and bonded wires. Such devices may be shipped between remote locations and along routes having disparate climates. Damage may occur during shipment or during packing and unpacking the devices.
Such containers typically include a portion such as a base having an opening to receive at least a portion of an article and a cover for closing over the article and the base opening. Closure may be achieved by sleeve portions of the base or cover which typically overlap and form a joint. In packing an article, sometimes a vulnerable feature is permitted to protrude from the base for ease of handling or inspection or to permit a cover to selectively bear against other portions of the article. A problem is to apply and remove such a cover without contacting the vulnerable features of such an article.
Damage may also occur by an article moving about in a relatively unrestrained manner and striking internal portions of a container during handling. To prevent such damage, shock absorbing media (such as foam particles) are typically packed in a container with an article. A problem is that such media may be untidy or expensive or both. Another problem is that the media does not always protect and may itself damage delicate wires and chips typically found on electronic devices. A further problem is that an article does not readily assume a posture acceptable for opening or closing a container or removing the article without risk of damage. Sometimes caps, resembling thimbles, are affixed to delicate features on an article for protection. But the application and removal of such caps is also sometimes destructive of features and additional costs are incurred in their application.
A further problem is that a cover does not always close onto a base in an airtight, contamination resistant manner. Even when an adherent fabric is used to seal over a joint, a change in air pressure or temperature sometimes causes a cover to open and admit air. Special mechanical closures and air control valves may be utilized on containers, but they are complex and the extra cost is generally not justified.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop new and improved containers for articles, especially for individually packaged, small articles having delicate features. Such containers should overcome or alleviate problems of the prior art and be simple, sturdy and inexpensive.